Marjean Jones reckons the layout of her two-bedroom corner apartment in the Viaduct Point complex is what makes it outstanding.
"It has a really good flow plan and I think it's unusual to have a master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe that large in an apartment. A lot of housesdon't have that good a sized wardrobe and bedroom size."
Marjean and her husband, Dennis, bought the property in 2003.
"It's a really nice apartment. We have the main living space and a lot of storage. And while it is not a huge kitchen, it's certainly very usable."
Being on the corner of the third of the five-levels, they look out from the glass-balustrade deck to tree-lined Pakenham and Custom West Sts with a glimpse of the water at the Viaduct and a view including the Sky Tower. The layout has the main door opening into the shared living space, the kitchen with stainless steel benches, the central island and F&P appliances on your left, then into the lounge/dining to the glass doors sliding open to the deck.
A hallway leads to the two bedrooms, with large, shuttered windows, bathroom (including laundry) and storage cupboard. The master bedroom at the end of the hallway has en suite and a walk-in wardrobe including a shoe cupboard concealed behind a mirrored door.
The couple bought this apartment while they were waiting for another to be built in the city centre, but instead of living here, their children moved in.
"When our children moved overseas about four years ago, we decided to rent it out. We have been getting about $725 a week," says Marjean.
"We liked living in the area and we thought this was a really good complex. The building manager, Alf, has been here since the apartments began. They are clean and tidy and a lot of occupants are owner-occupants which I think is a plus," she says.
The apartment is leasehold and Marjean says her take on that is "you get a lower priced apartment because it is leasehold and, yes, you do pay ground rents but it kind of works".
Image 1 of 6: Stay put and take in the views or head out on foot to meet your friends
And she is full of praise for the body corp.
"The chairman has been chairman for years and knows what he is doing and looks after the best interests of the group. The maintenance is brilliant partly because of the body corp and partly because of the building manager."
When Marjean and Dennis lived nearby in the Viaduct, they loved the simplicity of walking most places. And she thinks with Vodafone based at the Viaduct and Fonterra also moving here, this area will appeal to employees who prefer to walk to work and enjoy socialising in the inner city without always having to get in their car to drive places.
The Joneses are selling because the apartment is now surplus to their needs and they feel it is the right time to simplify their lives.
Marjean imagines young professionals or a retired couple are most likely to buy the apartment.
"I suppose you could have a child here but I didn't have school-aged children when we lived nearby so I don't know much about the schools.
"Our kids loved living here, it's great for people who like to go out to eat or have a drink with their friends. If you can't find something to do you're not trying very hard, and yet you can do nothing if you choose."
